South Side Hit Men

Top Two Consecutive Seasons bWAR Leaders > 1990 (Individual Players listed once for top two years): 14.0 F. Thomas (1991-1992) 12.6 C. Sale (2013-2014) 11.5 J. Danks (2008-2009) 11.3 R. Ventura (1991-1992 & 1992-1993) 11.0 M. Buehrle (2001-2002) 10.8 M. Ordonez (2002-2003) 10.7 A. Eaton (2015-2016) 10.2 A. Fernandez (1995-1996) 10.1 T. Raines (1992-1993) 9.9 L. Johnson (1992-1993) 9.7 J. McDowell (1992-1993) 9.4 A. Ramirez (2010-2011); J. Quintana (2015-2016) 9.3 J. Vazquez (2007-2008); J. Abreu (2014-2015) 8.6 W. Alvarez (1993-1994); A. Belle (1997-1998) Single Season bWAR Leaders > 1990 (6.0+): 7.3 F. Thomas (1997) 7.2 E. Loaiza (2003) 7.1 A. Belle (1998) 7.0 F. Thomas (1991 & 1992) 6.6 A. Eaton (2016) 6.5 C. Sale (2013) 6.4 F. Thomas (1994); A. Fernandez (1996); J. Danks (2008) 6.3 T. Raines (1992) 6.2 F. Thomas (1993) & J. Vazquez (2007) 6.1 L. Johnson (1993); M. Buehrle (2007); C. Sale (2014) 6.0 R. Ventura (1992); F. Thomas (2000); M. Buehrle (2001)

It was Karen, then Karen2, followed by Karen3.

Chicago White Sox bWAR leaders over the past 30 years: Frank Thomas 77.1 Mark Buehrle 49.0 Robin Ventura 39.4 Chris Sale 30.0 Paul Konerko 29.2

Thanks, agreed. Unless there is a fundamental change in how Reinsdorf operates a team, or announces a $40m-$60m increase in payroll on a go forward basis, not sure why anyone thinks he is signing with the White Sox. I tried watching one of his videos posted here, and turned it off a few minutes in, with about a half hour remaining. Haven't watched enough to judge whether he is a dbag based on his videos, but one only needs to watch his actions/antics on the field or in the clubhouse to reach that conclusion.

There is a good article on Thursday linked below regarding some of the ramifications of this change. https://www.mlb.com/news/how-negro-leagues-stats-may-change-baseball-leaderboards Some major changes include: Josh Gibson’s .461 now the all time highest batting average for a season. Josh Gibson’s .361 career batting average now second all time behind Ty Cobb’s .367. Josh Gibson’s career 200 OPS + second all time to Babe Ruth. 24 additional No Hitters, including a new Opening Day no hitter by Leon Day. Minnie Minoso’s updated hit total to 2,117. Updated RBI totals pushing Roy Campanella (1,027) and Larry Doby (1,099) over the 1,000 mark.

The thing most confusing in this back and forth today is how enabling and rewarding driving drunk, or opposition to drunk driving is somehow political. Tony’s arrest and likely conviction and sentencing in two days is newsworthy, likely the last bit of official White Sox news this year. It’s much more newsworthy than the thousands of posts cluttering every thread dissecting various pathetic fake fast food Twitter accounts.

Tony LaRussa's sentencing, prison term, and hopefully mugshot and arrest and jail cell videos are likely the lone news coming out regarding the White Sox next week. Well that and continued silence or some brief statement by the team regarding their recidivist criminal manager on Christmas Day when everyone else is preoccupied.

I hope both are brought along slowly in the minors, until they are ready to be called up and pitch without restrictions for the rest of the season. I am confident Katz will develop a solid 2021 game plan, with the objective to have both ready to start the 2022 season without restrictions. The Sox have enough depth now to get to June or July using Cease and Lopez until then. Adding one more starter ensures the team doesn’t have to deviate in the event of a major injury over the first several starts of the season. Win now should mean a window over the next 4-5 years, not win this year or bust before Jerry and/or Tony die.

Go Fund Yourself. https://southpark.cc.com/episodes/q743k3/south-park-go-fund-yourself-season-18-ep-1

Might still be a better option. Carlton Fisk 1986 dWAR -0.2 (31 games LF & 71 C) Eloy Jimenez is already a -2.0 dWAR after 168 games. Would of played more but gets hurt trying every few months.

Would have loved a Wacha, Renfro, Zunino package over Eaton + $1M.

We can expect a 27 year old healthy Eaton, does he have a time machine?

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/team/front-office Drunken Ass Clown. Whether Tony is formally above Kenny and or Hahn in the org chart is semantics. Neither Kenny or Hahn had a say in Tony's hire, if you cannot hire your direct reports, you really don't have any power, just a title. Hahn has already been in the position multiple times, inheriting Ventura and then having to slot in Renteria with no formal interview process. Then after Hahn grants Renteria an extension, Jerry sometime after Tony's arrest decided Tony would be the next manager. Hell Don Cooper was Kenny's direct report since Ozzie's managing days. Not sure whether Kenny fired Cooper or whether it was LaRussa's call. it's a completely dysfunctional organization. the Bulls were run exactly the same way until jerry stepped down and let Michael run things, including hiring professional executives and coaches.

When Jerry is gone, Kenny and Hahn are gone. Jerry theoretically can't live forever, and he is approaching 90 soon. And Jerry just big timed Hahn and denied him a managerial hire yet again. Jerry already did give it to LaRussa. Kenny and Hahn are Executives in name only, 4th and 5th on the totem pole. White Sox Hierarchy: Chairman of the Board: Reinsdorf > Direct Reports: SEVP Howard Pizer & DAC Tony LaRussa > Next layer: EVP Kenny Williams > Rick Hahn/Don Cooper

Thankfully players don't vote for the BBHOF, the BBWAA does. Again, not a perfect process, but much better than some crony Reinsdorf run committee.

Tony LaRussa is sober compared to Rob Manfred. Just watch the video of Rob handing out what he publicly calls a "Piece of Metal". Hell, Hockey's Count Van Count may be more popular.

Hopefully the reporting of his habitual wife beating and the unspecified atrocities committed against at least one or more male White Sox employees in Birmingham help keep him out of the Hall. With continued inductions of players like Tony Perez, Omar Vizquel and Harold Baines, they will need to strip the term Hall of Fame and replace it with Hall Of Decent Players, Many Of Whom Played Too Long. The bottom line is matching or exceeding the worst player at each position cannot be the benchmark for voting for a candidate. If you fall short against the average Hall of Farmer at your position, than you should not get a vote. Belanger is a Hall of Famer if Vizquel is. Todd Helton, Mark McGwire, Keith Hernandez, John Olerud, Jason Giambi, and Will Clark all have better JAWS than Perez. Tony Fernandez, Alvin Dark, Miguel Tejada, Jimmy Rollins, Jim Fergosi and Bert Campaneris are ranked higher than Vizquel. It becomes absurd once you go down this path of electing the lowest common denominator, or setting the worst elected player as a benchmark. #StopTheShame #VoteNoForVizquel

The HOF is using the research from the 1920-1948 period. Per the great article @KipWellsFan posted, about 73% of the known Negro League games (9,137 of 12,525) are in the database. Research will continue and stats adjusted with new information. They were very strict with the stats counted, including only Negro League games and not including the various barnstorming games. Great article, thanks for posting. The article lays out the primary reason the cut off was 1948, the inability to compile statistics post 1948. Before reading the article, I would have thought it would have been easier to compile the more recent stats and hard for the 1920s, but the opposite is true due to the fact many newspapers including primary sources like Black Newspapers dropped publishing box scores for publishing space in the 1940s. Nearly every game in the 1920s is included in the database, but only 50 percent of games from 1940-1948. The article also notes many historians feel the cut off should be 1950 or 1951, after which MLB's integration efforts resulted in a significant drop in Negro League talent beyond just a handful of superstars. It took several years before a majority of teams integrated (only three by the 1948 cutoff), and many more before a large number of black players successfully integrated MLB beyond the handful of elite superstars most people can name off the top of their head.

Number two is Mark Belanger, his bat wasn't good enough to lift his overall WAR or his chances at the HOF. And neither is Vizquel. Mark Belanger: oWAR 14.7; dWAR 39.5; bWAR 40.9; JAWS 36.4 (40th among SS) Omar Vizquel: oWAR 32.9; dWAR 29.5; bWAR 45.6; JAWS 36.2 (41st among SS) Average SS HOF: 67.5 bWAR; JAWS 55.3

Agreed, unless you are truly an all time best ever at a key defensive position, which Vizquel wasn’t. Player / bWAR / dWAR / JAWS (Score/Position Rank) Ozzie Smith 76.9 / 44.2 / 76.9 (9th) Brooks Robinson 78.4 / 39.1 / 78.4 (8th) Omar Vizquel 45.6 / 29.5 / 45.6 (41st) I’d consider Vizquel closer to a Nellie Fox, who also was rightfully passed over by the BBWAA, though like with too many players, the Veterans committee couldn’t resist. Fox had a better case, but neither should be in unless you are looking at a very watered down 500 + induct 4-5 players every year hall of fame. BBWAA not the greatest process, but prefer their much stricter criteria vs. the crony reach veterans committee criteria. Nellie Fox 49.5 / 21 / 49 (23rd)

The Sox should have saved Avery Weems for a bigger trade.

Darrin Jackson gives his thoughts on pairing with Len Kasper. https://www.mlb.com/news/darrin-jackson-len-kasper-white-sox-broadcasts “I know two things,” Jackson told MLB.com during a recent interview. “I know he’s great at what he does, and I know I like to have fun, break down the game. And I know he’s going to make me better just because he’s a great broadcaster. “I’m going to play off of him. I know we are going to get along great. That’s the No. 1 thing. Now it’s going to matter about the chemistry and the timing, and let’s see what I can do to make him have a good day and have some fun up there and what he can do to tee me up and make me sound like I know what I’m talking about. I’m going to try to have a lot of fun up there.”

This would have been a nice pickup by the White Sox. $3M guaranteed plus a second year team option. https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-zunino-rays-agree-to-deal Also, MLB reports DeScalfani will sign with the Giants, terms pending.

It’s about time. It appears the cutoff of years prior/after 1920-1948 is due to lack or research/data. Baseball Reference has the same time period of Negro League stats available on their website, and their footnotes indicate these stats were made available from the Hall of Fame research project. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?group=NLB&year=1951 At first I thought the omission of the final twelve seasons perhaps had to do with locking in Hank Aaron’s total HRs. The league was strong until the early 1950s. I believe they should include the final twelve seasons if possible / feasible.

I’m going to go against general consensus and state I hope the Sox pass on Hendricks if a high four year deal is required. Outside of say Mariano Rivera, it never turns out well, and a penny pinching team can’t afford mistakes. Use the $14M to get two solid late inning arms, and or sign one and use the rest for another starter. It’s a much better use of self-imposed limited resources.